UP Panchayat polls:10 hurt in violence

Lucknow: The first phase of polling for panchayats today was marred by incidents of violence, including firing and brick-batting, in some places which resulted in injuries to 10 people.

“Some minor incidents” were reported at some places following which repoll has been ordered in 12 polling booths out of the total of over 46,000 booths, state Election Commissioner Satish Agarwal said.

Repoll has been ordered in Etah, Amethi, Gorakhpur, Farrukhabad and Sambhal, among others, he said.

Describing the turnout as good, Agarwal said it will not be less than 65 per cent of 93 lakh voters eligible to cast ballots. Actual figures of poll percentage are being compiled, he said.

“There has been no casualty nor any major incident,” Agarwal claimed.

However, a number of violent incidents were reported.

Among the incidents in Pratapgarh’s Raniganj police station area, the tongue of a person, identified as Mushtaq, was cut off after a tiff during polling for post of Kshetra Panchayat member, police said.

Two persons sustained pellet injuries in a firing incident and were rushed to a hospital in Allahabad, police said.

The presiding officer at a polling station was manhandled by some persons in Etah’s Aliganj area, they said.

In Farrukhabad, three persons were injured in incidents of firing and brick-batting among members of rival groups at Mirpur Primary School under Badhpur block.

One Shivraj Singh Yadav was shot at and injured by members of the rival group while two persons sustained wounds in the brick-batting that followed, police said, adding they were admitted to the district hospital in a serious condition.